Ore-concentrating machine.



0. H. KING. ORE GONCENTBATING MACHINE. APPLmATIoN rILnnJUnB 2, 1910.

Patented Sept 5,1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0..WASHIN1TDN. 0.1:,

o. H. KING. ORE GONGENTRATING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED TUNE 2, 1910.

Patented Sept. 5', 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CGLUMBIA PLANCIORAPH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

o. H. KING. ORB GONGENTRATING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUHBZ, 1910.

1,002,525. 1 Patented septh 5,1911.

Il TED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

ORRIN I-I. KING, OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES CONCENTRATING- COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINGIS.

ORE-CONCENTRATING MACHINE.

To all whom t may concern/f Be it known that I, @RHIN H. KING, a citizen cf the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Concentrating Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of my specification.

My invention relates to a' concentrator or separator adapted for the treatment of ore, slime, or tailings, more especially to a machine wherein centrifugal force is employed to separate the ores or other similar material which have previously been pulverized and mixed with water; the object of the invention being to provide a machine that will permit of a thorough separation of the material of differentdegrees of specific gravity, which will be induced not only by the force just described but will be aided by the agitation made possible by the differential operation or speed of the concentrating surfaces or members forming the walls of the concentrating or separating channel, a's will more fully appear from the following detailed description of the accompanying Ldrawings, wherein Iiigure l is a vertical central sectional view of my improved machine. Fig. 2 is a partial plan and partial horizontal sectional view of the same. Figs. 3 and t are detail views of the separating channel expanding mechanism. Fig. 5 isa detail of the mechanism employed for moving one of the members vertically whereby the expanding mechanism is put into operation. Fig. (3 is a vertical sectional view of the lower outer edge of the outer member and the plug retaining member which is bolted to said outer member, and illustrating the reducing plugs employed.

The machine consists of the outer and inner members or vessels A, B, which are preferably in the shape of frustums or inverted pans as shown, and are adapted to be revolved as will be hereinafter set forth. Intermediate of members A and B, are a series of plates C, which constitute a deflector or one of the concentrating surfaces or walls of the separating channel; these plates C are preferably arranged in a circumferential manner, parallel with the wall of member A and are held away from the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. June 2, 1910.

Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

seriai No. 564,594.

member B by the intervening filler or member of rubber, or other resilient material D. This resilient member or filler D is preferably molded or formed with the longitudinally extending spaces or apertures as shown at 7, so as to give the filler greater resiliency; a sufficient number of these apertures being provided as more clearly seen in Fig. 2, to allow considerable contraction for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The plates C are normally slightly separated from each other and are connected by a suitable number of rods a, with the similarly arranged and spaced plates or radially movable members E-of which there are preferably an equal number-which are provided with wedging surfaces or blocks b. The rods a, extend through the filler or member D, and shell or casting B as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2. Secured within the frustum shaped vessel or inverted pan B, is the cylindrical member or drum F; this drum F is securely bolted to the top wall of the inverted pan or vessel B as clearly shown in Fig. l. Taking within the drum F is a cylindrical member G which is also provided with the wedgeblocks or surfaces so formed as to slide on and coact with wedge-blocks Z), secured on member E. Member G may terminate at the bottom in a' spider c', the center or hubportion of which rests on the cone-bearing, or other suitable anti-friction bearing I'I. This member G is feathered or slidably keyed on sleeve c so as to permit member G to slide up and down on the sleeve but at the same time to revolve therewith. This sleeve c is driven by means of a suitable belt not shown,which takes about pulley d which is secured on sleeve c; the sleeve being` supported by a cone or other antifriction bearing M, which bearing may be mounted on shaft J, as shown. Sleeve o also has secured to it the cone c with which the member or vessel B is provided to give suitable bearing for the member B. It is apparent therefore that vessel or member B will revolve with sleeve c which is driven by a belt on pulley d as previously described.

Taking loosely about sleeve c, is the externally threaded short sleeve f, which is stationarily supported on any suitable support or frame work as shown in Fig. l at f. A gear which is also threaded internally, takes about and meshes with the threads of Sleeve f; this gear 77, has secured to it the cup-shaped member L, carrying or housing the bearing H, which supports the cylindrical member G. The gear It, is driven by the pinion j, which latter is mounted on the rotatable sha-ft 7s, driven by the bevel gears Z, which in turn are operated by shaft m, driven in any suitable manner; this shaft m, is shown provided with pulleys as at m so that the speed and direction of rotation of the shaft m may be controlled, because in the operation of the machine it is intended to reverse the direction of rotation of the shaft for the purpose to be hereinafter eX` plained. It is apparent that when the gear it, is rotated by means of pinion j, it will ride upwardly and downwardly on the stationary threaded sleeve f, depending upon the direction in which the gear 7LV is rotated. The movement of the gear 71 in one direction forces the bearing H, and with it member G, upward; this upward movement of member G forces its wedge-blocks b upward against the wedges Z2, secured to the circularly arranged and equi-distance spaced members E which control the posit-ion of the circularly arranged and equi-distance spaced plates or members C through the medium of rods a, thereby regulating the relation between the plates C and the inner wall of member A, thus changing the width of the concentrating or separating channel or chamber intermediate of member A and plates C. A reverse movement of gear It, will draw the cup-shaped member a" down with it and also the bearing H, thereby permitting cylindrical member Gr to drop downward bringing the wedge-blocks into the normal position shown in Fig. l; this permits the plates C to return to their former positions in close proximity to the inner wall of member A as shown; the resilient filler or member D, in addition to centrifugal force forcing the plates C to their normal position. In order to permit the movement of member G with its wedge-blocks b, the slots g are provided-see Figs. 1 and 4-through which the rods a take. The top of outer casing or member A is preferably provided with the tapered hub J to give proper bearing on the revoluble shaft J to which member A is secured. The shaft J is provided with a driving pulley n; the outer casing or mem- -ber A being revolved by shaft J. This shaft J, is supported by the frame N of any suitable construction; and the shaft J has its bearing on the anti-friction or cone-bearing L, which latter carries the weight of shaft J and also of the entire machine; while bearing M as previously described carries sleeve c, and the weight of drum F, pan member B, members or plates C, together with the expanding mechanism and parts secured thereto.

To permit the pulp, slime, or other material, to be fed to the concentrating chamber, I provide the top of vessel or member A with a suitable open chamber o formed by the bowed or concaved ring 0. The material to be treated is fed into this chamberl 0 by a pipe p, which is provided with a suitable valve or automatic mechanism to control the flow. The material to be treated Hows from this chamber 0', through the ports p down onto an annular plate or horizontally disposed ring A', whose inner circumference is preferably provided with an upwardly extending iiange so as to prevent the material crowding inward toward the shaft J under any circumstances. This annular plate A', is secured to the top of member A by suitable bolts as shown so as to revolve therewith; the plate being held away from the top of member A by suitable bolts or spacing blocks so as to provide a channel for the passage of the material fed into the machine. This plate A is of course, smaller` in dialneter than the inside diameter of member A near the top, so as to allow the material to pass between the outer edge or circumference of plate A and the side wall of member A, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The material is fed through this pipe p andv into the concentrating chamber, during the upward movement of member G, in other words during the gradual expansion of the concentrating chamber or channel intermediate of plates C and member A, and when the limit of upward movement has been reached, or the limit of expansion of the concentrating chamber, the feeding of the material through the feeding pipe p is shut off, either automatically or otherwise by any suitable mechanism which need not be described.

g, represents a pipe connected with a suitable water-supply whereby fresh water for washing purposes is fed to chamber 0 (the water supply being controlled either automatically or otherwise) when it is desired t0 wash the concentrates or separated material out of the croncentrating or separating chamber between casing or member A and the plates or members C. This operation is performed during the reverse movement of gear L and the dropping down or the lower ing of member G, which permits of the contraction of the separating oi concentrating channel as previously described; the speed or operation of the machine having been altered.

The concentrating or separating chamber intermediate of the outer casing or vessel A and the members or plates C, terminates at the bottom in a horizontally disposed passage or channel r, which is formed by the annular plates s and plate or retaining ring t. The plate s, is bolted to the member B* see Fig. 1,-and the plate also has the drum F secured to it. This plate s provides a surface for the resilient filler or member D to bear against, thus preventing the member being longitudinally displaced or forced downward during the action of the wedging members whereby the plates C are drawn inward and the concentrating channel expanded or enlarged.

The retaining ring t is provided at its outer edge or periphery with the upwardly extending flange t which takes beneath and against the flange au extending about the lower edge of casing A, as can more clearly be seen in the enlarged fragmentary sectional view,-Fig. 6. This retaining ring is bolted to the flange of casing A, as shown, by any suitable'number of bolts, and the position of the ring with reference to the lower part of the member or casing A,-as well as with reference to plate tsg-is maintained by the washers or spacers y, through which the securing bolts may take. These washers y are so formed and spaced apart as to permit of the passage of the material flowing out of the concentrating channel; the washers and bolts being preferably placed at points intermediate of the holes taking through the vertical portion of the flange t and into which holes plugs w are screwed or otherwise secured. The spacers or washers y are preferably so formed to assist in directing the outward movement of the material toward the discharge-openings or plugs fw. In order to reduce the discharge apertures, and as a method of control for the material passing through the machine, the plugs w are provided with counter-sunk portions into which the tubes e (preferably of rubber) take; the bore of the rubber plugs z is made smaller than the channel r and the bore of this plug fw, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The plugs 'w which are preferably metal, screw into the threaded openings or apertures in the horizontal portion of the ring. Surrounding the discharge end of the machine, to wit-extending circumferentially about the retaining ring t, which is provided with the discharge openings or plugs,-is the circular trough or launder K. This trough or launder is made of increasing depth toward one side of the machine so as to give a sloping surface to induce the flow of the discharged material; the deepest 0r lowest point in the launder K being provided with suitable discharge openings or ports which need not be shown. This launder K is divided into two compartments by a. vertically slidable gate or partition o, which may be operated by any suitable mechanism such as the lever P which may be pivoted on the frame work N. The lower portion of the gate is shown bifurcated so as to take about the guiding flange 'U' formed in the bottom of the launder; while the upper part of the gate is provided with the inwardly extending sloping surface o whereby the material discharged through the different plugs will flow to t-he outer chamber of the launder when the gate is lowered, as is readily apparent from the construction illustrated in Fig. l, where the gate is shown up, allowing the material to discharge into the inner chamber or trough of the launder.

An overflow trough O is provided beneath the machine, see Fig. l. This trough O is of suitable construction and has spouts y leading into it to permit material to flow from channel r when the machine is being fed too fast or for some reason the material is crowding back in the channel r toward the center of the machine against the centrifugal force by reason of the inability of the material to discharge rapidly enough.

It will be noted that the openings in the annular plate or ring t from which the spouts y lead are placed farther inward than the point where the concentrating channel connects with channel r; therefore, unless the machine is being fed too rapidly or something has interfered with the passage through the plugs, the material will not flow inward far enough to pass through the spouts y.

The operation of the machine is as follows The material to be treated is fed through pipe p into the chamber 0, and then passes through the opening p into the space above the plate A; the machine in the mean time having been placed in operation by revolving shaft4 J and sleeve c, which is done through the medium of belts passing about pulleys n, and d, respectively. The shaft J and sleeve 0 revolve the outer casing A and the member B, respectively, together with the members or plates C controlled by movement of member B. The centrifugal force of the rapidly revolving members causes the material of greater specific gravity to adhere to the inner wall or surface of casing A. As soon as the material begins to enter the separating or concentrating chamber between the casing A and t-he plates C, the bevel gearing Z is set in operation thereby revolving pinion j, which in turn revolves gear h. This will compel gear 7L to ride up on the threaded sleeve or member f, thereby moving the member G upward which forces the wedge-blocks Z9', against the wedge-blocks b, causing members or plates E to move inward toward the center of the machine, and these in turn will draw the plates C farther away from the inner surface of casing A, thereby enlarging the concentrating chamber or channel to permit of a continued and complete concentration or separation of the heavier or valuable material fed through the machine. The gate u in the launder has of course been properly set during this operation, so as to have the undesirable material which immediately begins to flow out of the separating channel to pass into that part of the launder from which the material is allowed to waste. As

40 circularly disposed mend-bers, means whereby soon as the member G has reached the limit of its upward movement, the flow of material through feed-pipes p is shut 0H and the operation of the bevel gearing Z is reversed, thereby causing member G to drop downward to the normal position shown in Fig. 1. The gate v in the launder is now operated, either raised or lowered as the case might be, so as to have the concentrates or separated material pass into the part of the launder connected with suitable settling tanks or receptacles. Water is now fed to the machine through pipe g, whereby the concentrates will be washed out of the concentrating channel between casing A and plates C and allowed to flow into the launder to be emptied into suitable tanks as stated.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the operation or speed of the members A and C may vary or differ by reason of the fact that the two surfaces are separately driven. This differential operation or speed greatly assists in the complete separation or concentration of the material. Furthermore, the fact that the concentrating channel can be expanded or enlarged gradually during the operation of the machine, greatly enhances the capacity and efHciency of the machine.

The construct-ion illustrated and described may be altered in a number of details without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do notwish to limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, but

What I wish to secure by Letters Patent 1s:-

l. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable deflector comprising a series of said members aresupported in proper posiJ tion, resilient means intermediate of said supporting means and the series of members adapted to yieldingly hold said series of members in expanded position and close the interstices between said members to prevent the passage of material between the members, and mechanism whereby said series of members may be contracted against the action of said resilient means.

2. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable deflector consisting of a series of vertically extending circularly arranged members, revolubly mounted means whereby said members are supported and permitted to move radially, a resilient filler intermediate of said supporting means and the series of members adapted to yieldingly hold the latter in an expanded position and close Vthe spaces between the members to prevent the passage of material between the members, and wedging-members adapted t-o uniformly move the series of members in a radial direction against the action of said resilient filler to expand the concentrating channel.

3. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable deflector consisting of a series of circularly disposed equi-distant members, revolubly mounted means for supporting said members and permitting of their horizontal movement, resilient means intermediate of said supporting means and the series of members adapted to maintain the latter in an expanded position and prevent the passage of material between said members, and mechanism provided with oppositely disposed wedging-surfaces for moving the members against the action of said intermediate means to expand the concentrating channel.

4. In a machine of the class described, a rotatable deliector comprising a series of circularly disposed members, resilient means for yieldingly holding said members in expanded position and adapted to prevent the passage of material between the series of members, means whereby said series of members and said resilient means are supported in proper posit-ion, a second series of members connected with the dellector-members, and mechanism adapted to move vertically and having operative engagement with the second series of members for moving the latter and causing the series of deflectormembers to contract against the action of said resilient means.

5. An ore concentrating machine comprising a series of plates, means for supporting said plates, a resilient member intermediate of said plates and the supporting means for yieldingly holding the plates in normal position and adapted to prevent the passage of material between the plates, and means connected with said plates for causing an intermittent movement of said plates against the action of said resilient member.

6. In an ore concentrating machine, movably mounted ore separating mechanism, means for supporting said mechanism, a resilient member intermediate of said mechanism and said means for yieldingly holding the mechanism in normal position and adapted to close the interstices in said mechanism, and means connected with said mechanism for causing an intermittent movement of the latter against the action of said resilient member.

7. In an ore concentrating machine provided with an expansible and contractible deiector, and a resilient member bearing against said deiector whereby the latter is adapted to be held in normal or expanded position and the interstices therein closed, the combination of members provided with oppositely disposed beveled surfaces, some of the members being connected with said CIK deflector, With means for moving a portion of said members to cause the beveledA surfaces to coact and contract the deflector.

8. lin an ore concentrating machine provided With an expansible and contractible deflector, and a resilient member bearing against said deflector and adapted to hold the latter in normal or expanded position, the combination of mechanism provided with Wedging surfaces, a portion of said mechanism being connected With said deflector and arranged to move in a direction similar to that of the deflector, While the other portion of said mechanism is adapted to move in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of the first mentioned portion, with means for moving the lastnamed portion and causing the Wedgingsurfaces to coact.

9. ln a machine of the class described, a rotatable deiiector comprising a series of circularly disposed members, means for supporting said members, a resilient member intermediate of said series of members and the supporting means for yieldingly holding the series of members in expanded position and adapted to prevent the passage of material between said series of members, and mechanism provided With engaging surfaces, a portion of the mechanism being connected with said series of members and arranged to move in a direction similar to that of said series of members, While the other portion of said mechanism is adapted to move in a direction substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of the first mentioned portion and canse the engaging surfaces to coact and thereby contract the series of members against the action of said resilient member.

ORRIN H. KING. Witnesses:

N. A. STREET, E. N. KERNWEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

